Later, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam briefed the media about the meeting at the Foreign Service Academy here this afternoon. About tax reduction for mobile phone, Shafiqul Alam said the customs duty on imported mobile phones has been reduced from 25 percent to 10 percent. For locally manufactured mobile phones, he said, the customs duty, which was previously 10 percent, has been cut to 5 percent. About the Bangladesh Labour (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, the press secretary said some complaints have been raised regarding certain provisions of the recently enacted labour law. Deputy Press Secretary Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad Majumder and Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahammad were present at the briefing.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has appointed is Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan as chairman and Senior Joint General Secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi as member secretary of its Central Election Steering Committee (CESC) to oversee the 13th National Parliament Election–2026. The committee has been formed with the coordination of 41 leaders from across the party, including Begum Selima Rahman and Shamsuzzaman Dudu as vice chairmen, and Md Ismail Jabiullah as chief coordinator, according to a post on BNP verified Facebook account. Other members include Dr Ziauddin Haider, Dr Moudud Hossain Alamgir Pavel, Barrister Giasuddin Rimon and Major General (retd) Fazle Elahi Akbar. All concerned party members were requested to provide full support to the committee in carrying out its responsibilities.

Faridpur observes 123rd birth anniversary of poet Jasimuddin with tributes, discussions, and cultural programmes. Photo : BSSFARIDPUR, Jan 1, 2026 (BSS) - The 123rd birth anniversary of eminent poet Jasimuddin, popularly known as Palli Kabi, was observed today in Faridpur with various programmes. Another programme was held at the poet's mausoleum at Ambikapur, attended by Faridpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Kamrul Hasan Mollah, Superintendent of Police Md. In his poetry, Jasimuddin skillfully portrayed the joys and sorrows of rural people in simple and lucid language. He studied at Faridpur Welfare School and later at Faridpur Zilla School, passing the Entrance Examination in 1921.

Four policemen were injured in an attack by a group of drug peddlers during an anti-narcotics drive in Sreepur upazila of Gazipur district on Thursday. Two of the injured were identified as sub-inspectors- Arup Kumar Biswas and Mohammad Masud Rana. After news of the arrests spread, local drug peddlers and their associates equipped with locally-made weapons attacked the police team and hurled brick chips and stones, leaving four policemen injured. The injured were taken to a local hospital. SI Arup Kumar also filed a case with Sreepur Police Station against 24 identified people and 80-90 unidentified people.

Begum Khaleda Zia was laid to rest with full state honours on Tuesday afternoon beside the grave of her husband, president Ziaur Rahman. Sultan Mahmud, a Jubo Dal activist from Kurigram, said: “As long as Bangladesh exists, Begum Khaleda Zia will never be forgotten. I thank Allah for that.”Saiful Alam, a BNP activist from Badda, recalled how often Khaleda Zia herself visited the grave of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman. I came to visit our leader’s grave. Begum Khaleda Zia passed away early Tuesday while undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman met BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Thursday evening and expressed condolences over the death of his mother and former prime minister Khaleda Zia. The Jamaat chief came to the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office around 7pm, a day after Khaleda Zia’s burial. Later, he met Tarique Rahman at his chamber in the presence of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee members Nazrul Islam Khan, Salahuddin Ahmed and AZM Zahid Hossain. During the meeting, the Jamaat chief held a brief discussion with Tarique Rahman and conveyed his sympathy to the bereaved family. On Wednesday, Jamaat Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman, along with other senior party leaders, also attended the namaz-e-janaza of the late BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Jamaat’s Nayeb-e-Amir and Rangpur-2 candidate ATM Azharul Islam said Thursday that there is still an opportunity to discuss seat-sharing among the 10-party alliance participating in the upcoming election. “Among the 10 parties, we can still discuss all matters, including seat-sharing. Hopefully, everything will be settled before the nomination papers are withdrawn,” he told reporters while taking part in the nomination paper verification process at the Rangpur deputy commissioner’s office. He added that nomination papers have been submitted according to decisions made up to Monday, and discussions will continue until the withdrawal deadline. Addressing the government and the Election Commission, Azhar said: “The law-and-order situation has still not been brought under control.

On the very first morning of the new year, Siam Ahmed didn’t offer wishes, he issued a warning. “Hold your seat tight in the cinema hall,” the star told fans, viewers and critics alike, hinting that 2026 will be anything but calm. What greater achievement can there be for an actor?”Last year, Siam’s characters did not just appear — they stayed. Posters were made, memes flooded timelines, video mashups and background scores emerged around characters that had barely lived on screen. He believes an actor’s duty is to constantly challenge himself, to arrive on screen with unfamiliar shades and unfamiliar stories.

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Thursday said the interim government expects a record voter turnout in the upcoming election, with full security and a free, fair, and inclusive process. “There has been no clash, no violence, and the number of candidates is also sufficient. On average, more than eight candidates are participating per constituency, and over 50 political parties have nominated candidates for the election,” he said. He said a strong turnout is anticipated, noting that about 700,000 overseas Bangladeshis will vote by postal ballot for the first time. “When the foreign minister of Nepal spoke with the principal adviser yesterday, he inquired about how we are implementing it.

Moulvibazar district, surrounded by haors, hills and tea gardens, is currently experiencing a severe cold wave, with tea workers and low-income labourers bearing the brunt of the harsh winter. Earlier, temperatures stood at 12.5 degrees Celsius on Wednesday (December 31) and 14.6 degrees Celsius on both Tuesday and Monday. Despite the biting cold, tea workers and daily wage labourers are forced to leave for work early in the morning, often without adequate warm clothing. Rural residents are also enduring extreme hardship as the cold wave continues. Anisur Rahman, officer-in-charge of the Srimangal Meteorological Observatory, said a mild cold wave is currently sweeping the region.

A lawyer was beaten to death after his private car hit a motorcycle in the Bashundhara Residential Area of the capital on Wednesday night. The victim, Naeem Kibria 35, was a lawyer at the Pabna District Judge’s Court. According to Vatara Police Station Sub-Inspector Ariful Islam, the incident occurred around 10:00 p.m. when Naeem, who was driving a private car, collided with a motorcycle. Naeem was rescued by his cousin, Rafiqul Islam, and taken to Kurmitola General Hospital around 11:00 p.m., where doctors declared him dead. Rafiqul Islam said Naeem came to his house in Purbachal 10 days ago and went out on Wednesday night using a friend’s private car.

A two-month ban on crab harvesting in the rivers and canals of the Sundarbans’ Satkhira Range came into force on Thursday as the crab breeding season begins. Following the ban, crab fishermen have started returning from deep forest areas to their localities. Burigoalini Forest Station Officer (SO) Md Ziaur Rahman said the government imposed the seasonal ban to ensure uninterrupted crab breeding in the Sundarbans’ river systems. As a result, he said, he lacks sufficient savings to support his family during the ban period and will have to rely on loans from moneylenders. Md Fazlul Haque, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of the Sundarbans Satkhira Range, said crabs are a major source of foreign currency earnings.

BKSP, representing Zone 5, clinched the title of the BRAC Bank Aparajeyo Alo Women’s Hockey Tournament after thrashing Zone 2 (Dhaka and Mymensingh) by 8–0 in the final at the Maulana Bhashani Hockey Stadium in the capital on Thursday. Nini Sen Rakhain and Tonni Khatun added one goal each as BKSP dominated proceedings from start to finish. Arpita emerged as the top scorer of the final round, netting an impressive 22 goals in five matches. “I never expected that I would score so many goals,” said Arpita after the final. BKSP joined the four zonal champions in the final round, which started in late December.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has said Bangladesh is fully prepared to hold free, fair, and peaceful elections on February 12. “We will learn from your experiences,” Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said. “We witnessed a true Saarc spirit at the funeral yesterday. The Saarc spirit is still alive,” he said during his meeting with Maldives Minister Ali Haider Ahmed. We shared our grief and sorrow together,” he told Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath.

Rangamati Photo: BSSBy Mansur AhmedRANGAMATI, Jan 1, 2026 (BSS) - Rangamati, often described as the hilly daughter of natural beauty, is witnessing a record surge in tourists during the ongoing winter season, with hotels, resorts and cottages operating at full capacity. While Rangamati usually sees increased tourist movement from Thursday to Saturday, this winter season has brought a steady flow of visitors throughout the week. Transport operators have also benefited from the increased tourist movement. Jamir Uddin, a tourist from Chattogram, said the natural beauty of Rangamati left a lasting impression on him. Tourist Police Rangamati Zone In-charge Tariqul Alam Jewel said law enforcement agencies are on alert to ensure the safety and smooth movement of visitors during the busy season.